This application claims priority of 19919433.5, filed on Apr. 29, 1999, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to an orienting station, particularly for suction presses.
For manufacturing and machining vehicle body parts, particularly for motor vehicles, suction presses are used in practice. These are press systems which are constructed of several presses arranged in a row and optionally connected with one another. The presses are linked with one another by way of a transport system which carries out transport of the parts. In each press, a tool is arranged which continuously opens and closes. The transfer system has the task of guiding a sheet metal part situated in the tool out of this tool when the tool opens and to place a new workpiece in the tool before the tool closes again. In this case, the sheet metal parts must be placed in the tool in the correct positioning. The workpiece position (parts position) is normally not constant in all tools. This means that the orientation of the sheet metal parts during the passage through the press system may have to be changed between the individual tools. This depends on the concrete design of the sheet metal part. It may, for example, be required to swivel the sheet metal part between the individual tools about a horizontal tilting axis oriented transversely to the transport direction. Furthermore, the sheet metal part may have to be laterally displaced or otherwise reoriented.
For this purpose, a flexible multiple transfer system, which has a modular construction, is used a described in DE 19654474 A1. Transfer modules arranged between the individual presses or tools, in each case, carry out the transfer of the sheet metal parts from tool to tool. The transfer modules each have a suction bridge which is spatially guided at its ends by a steering gear. In this case, the suction bridge travels along a transfer curve. In addition, the swivelling position as well as another orientation of the suction bridge during the transfer step can be changed. The steering gear connects the suction bridge with drive units.
With large tool distances, it is frequently desirable to shorten the transfer step. For this purpose, intermediate depositing devices are arranged between the individual presses and tools. These can be used for the reorientation of the sheet metal parts. As a result, the transfer system can, in turn, be simplified. DE 1961867 A1 describes intermediate depositing devices which are constructed as orienting stations having a carrier frame with depositing devices for the sheet metal parts. The carrier frame is supported by six legs which in pairs enclose an angle with one another. The legs can each be telescoped and are provided with a servo motor. As a result of the targeted length adjustment of the legs, the position of the carrier frame can be changed and adjusted. The rods must contain the drives for the rod length adjustment as well as telescoping guides.